Samar Province

Samar, sometimes unofficially called Western Samar, is one of the three provinces in Samar Island, Eastern Visayas region of the Philippines.

Cities and municipalities

• 1 Calbayog — home to many waterfalls
• 2 Catbalogan — the "Gateway to Samar Region"
• 3 Basey — famous for its beautiful Sohoton Caves, whose inner chamber features stalactites, stalagmites, and an underground river
• 4 Calbiga — famous for the Langun-Gobingob Caves which is the largest cave system in the Philippines
• 5 Marabut — has limestone rock formations off its coast
• 6 Paranas —

Get in

By plane

Flights to Calbayog City are Philippine Airlines from Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, and Cebu Pacific from Mactan-Cebu International Airport in Metro Cebu.

By bus

Major bus companies in Manila plying the Luzon-Visayas-Mindanao route pass through the province since Maharlika Highway runs through the entire length of the province. Travelers to the province of Samar may ride a bus from Metro Manila at the Ali Mall Bus Terminal in Cubao and from the various Pasay City terminals that sprout along EDSA.

Once the bus has reached the southern tip of Luzon Island, you will take a 30-minute ferryboat to the northern end of Samar, after which you can continue your bus trip, or transfer to a myriad of jeepneys, smaller buses, and tricycles to take you to anywhere in Samar.

By ferry

Cokaliong Shipping Lines: has an overnight ferry 3 times a week to/from Calbayog to Cebu city.

Get around

Local mini buses ply from Catbalogan City to Tacloban City in Leyte and vice-versa and from Catbalogan to Calbayog.

On top of these buses, there are a number of passenger vans that ply Catbalogan and Calbayog route almost every half an hour. The vans also run the Catbalogan-Tacloban route almost every quarter of an hour.

Buses from Manila or Mindanao pass through the Maharlika Highway on a 24-hour basis. However, stops are only made either in Catbalogan City or Calbayog City.

From the two urban centers, Catbalogan City and Calbayog City, there are jeepneys that ply from the two localities going to the various towns of Samar.

See

San Juanico Bridge, between Tacloban, Leyte and Sta. Rita, Samar. One of the longest bridge in the Philippines. (updated Mar 2016)

• Pinipisakan Falls and Cave - San Jorge, Samar. Explore the many waterfalls and caves in the province. Pinipisakan Falls can be found in the town of San Jorge. The river in which the layers or series of waterfalls of Pinipisakan run along upstream, serves as most convenient way to enter the cave at the end of the river. Inside the cave is an underground river that serves as tributary for the Blanca Aurora river.
• Langun-Gobingob Caves - Calbiga, Samar. The biggest cave system in the Philippines is the town of Calbiga. Underground rivers can also be found inside this cave system. A smaller cave system is the Kanyawa Caves also in the same town.
• Lulugayan Falls. The upstream of Calbiga river is compose of many waterfalls, famous of which is the Lulugayan falls which looks like little Niagara.
• Calbayog Waterfalls. The city of Calbayog boasts many waterfalls that are very accessible by motorized transport.
• Samar Island Nature Park - Paranas, Samar. Commonly known as SINP, this natural park is a protected area managed by the government.

Natural parks & caves

• Guinog-an Cave
• Danao Cave
• Guimit Cave - Talalora
• Sohoton Natural Bridge and National Park – Basey
• Calbiga Cave
• Tinago-an Cave

Waterfalls & hot springs

• Mapaso Hot Spring
• Mawacat Slide
• Bangon-Bugtong Falls
• Tabokno Falls
• Pan-as Falls
• Blanca Aurora Falls - Gandara

Historical spots and museums

• Samar Archeological Museum and Research Center

Islands & isles

• Binaliw Isle

Beaches & dives

• Malajog Beach

Go next

Van to Tacloban city, or ferry to Cebu city, or ferry to Luzon island.